Sensex opens 31 points lower

The 30-share barometer, which rallied by nearly 840 points the previous four sessions, slid by 31.16 points to 18,269.74 points in the first few minutes of trade as realty, oil and gas and capital goods stocks succumbed to profit-booking.

In a similar fashion, the wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty index declined by 7.90 points to 5,473.80 points.

Brokers said profit-booking by market participants, following a near 4.6 per cent rise in the Sensex during the past four sessions, influenced the trading sentiment.

They also said investors were adopting a cautious approach ahead of the Union Budget for the 2011-12 financial year.

Stocks of Reliance Communications fell by 1.25 per cent to Rs 98.45 after its chief, Anil Ambani, appeared at CBI headquarters in connection with the probe into the 2G scam.